Entertainment

A Guide to Google’s APIs

Google has been opening up many of its most popular services to outside developers over the past year, including the Google Docs API this week. From quirky applications to venture-funded startups, a wide variety of new services are being launched leveraging Google’s APIs, helping users perform a multitude of tasks. Here is a non-technical introduction to some of the company’s most popular APIs and some of the most interesting applications built on top of them.

Google Toolbar API

The Google Toolbar is widely-used and comes standard with Firefox. The Toolbar API allows developers to create buttons for Google Toolbar, thus creating a way for you to add data from your web site to the user’s web browser. For example, the Fox News – Latest Headlines button will display all of the latest news from the Fox News site and let you click to the story. In addition to the more than 100 apps featured in the Google Toolbar Gallery from mainstream names like CNN and YouTube, dozens of independently developed applications and mashups have also been created. For example, the Twitter Google Toolbar Button allows you to input Twitter feeds and receive updates in your toolbar.

Google Gadgets API

Perhaps the most important of the Google APIs for those looking to take advantage of Google’s massive user base, the Google Gadgets API allows developers to create applications that run on iGoogle (formerly Google Personalized Home), Google Desktop, Google Page Creator, and the “Google Gadgets for Your Web Page” directory. For example, the CNN TV gadget streams live news, while Outlook Tasks imports your task list from Microsoft Outlook. Assuming you are able to get your application into Google’s official directory, the Gadgets API is a great way to gain exposure for your company’s product.

Google Base API

Google Base is Google’s service for listing things online – essentially a classifieds service integrated with the company’s other products like search and Google Checkout.

The Google Base API allows developers to both search the Google Base database and input new listings. Thus, shopping sites, classifieds aggregators, and others are building applications that either expand their own listings or allow sellers to submit items to multiple sites at once. vFlyer is a service that enables you to post to Google Base, Craigslist, and eBay, among others. For real estate listings, BaseEstate integrates Google Base listings into their service, which displays properties on a mashup of the Google Maps API.

Google Calendar API

The Google Calendar API allows developers to build applications that let users create, manage, and delete events from their calendars. Online task manager Remember The Milk has utilized the Google Calendar API to enable their users to sync their task list with their Google Calendar. For business users, there is a mashup on Salesforce.com that allows you to merge your events from salesforce.com with your Google Calendar. If you want to sync your Google Calendar with your mobile phone, open source project GCALSYNC allows you to do so. With dozens of startups focused on finding and managing events, expect more mash ups with Google Calendar in the future.

Google Desktop SDK

The Google Desktop SDK (Software Developer Kit) allows developers to build plugins that extend the functionality of Google’s popular desktop search software. Some plugins add capabilities to Google Desktop, while others are essentially widgets for other programs that you can place in your Desktop sidebar. An excellent example of an application that adds capabilities is the Google Desktop Search Plugin for Windows Explorer which links the “Search” icon that can be found throughout Windows to Google Desktop instead of the default Windows search tool. On the widget side of things, any Google Gadget can be quickly and easily added to your Desktop sidebar, thus making Gadgets an attractive method for developers to reach new users.

Google Maps API

One of the most popular (and longest running) Google API’s is that of Google Maps. The API allows developers to built applications that plot their own data on top of Google Maps. We recently took a look at 13 Must-See Google Maps Mashups, but there are hundreds (if not thousands) of applications using the API, ranging from Frappr’s social maps to Trulia’s real estate search. In addition to the API, Google also recently introduced Maplets, essentially allowing developers to place Google Gadgets on Maps.

AdWords API

The Google AdWords API allows developers to design new programs for managing and analyzing AdWords campaigns. This has lead to a variety of software packages (many of which are of course advertised on Google) that built upon AdWords. For example, the VisualCalc AdWords Dashboard turns data from AdWords into charts and graphs for analyzing which campaigns are performing best, how clicks and conversions are tending over time, and how various metrics compare in different ad groups. Unlike most of Google’s other APIs, developers pay a fee to build applications for AdWords, which is why most of the applications built to-date such as VisualCalc cost money.

Google Docs & Spreadsheets APIs

As announced earlier this week, the Google Documents List Data API allows developers to build applications that can upload documents to Google Docs, request a list of a user’s documents, or search content within a document. The Google Spreadsheets API performs similar functions, allowing external applications to access and edit data within the company’s spreadsheet program. A good example of these relatively new APIs in action is Swivel, where data can be pulled in from Google Spreadsheets and then utilize Swivel’s community tools for analyzing and discussing data.

—

In all, Google currently offers more than two dozen APIs, which can be found on the Google Code site. Much like the Facebook platform or the APIs offered from widely-used startups like Flickr and Twitter, Google’s APIs provide developers with an “in” to millions of potential users through Google’s vast reach. In turn, creating applications that are both useful and provide smooth integration with an existing Google service is an effective way to spread your product through technology instead of relying solely advertising or viral marketing. At the same time, as Google continues to add new APIs and expand on existing ones, the company further expands its reach as the developer community builds new products tailored to Google products and services.

Mashable
is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company. Powered by its own proprietary technology, Mashable is the go-to source for tech, digital culture and entertainment content for its dedicated and influential audience around the globe.